Tuesday, May 11, 2010

In Which I Ponder The Queer Inclinations Of Humans And Encounter Ants

From somewhere in the soft focus of my past there comes to me images of gentle hands and rough landings and even some harsh words. However, I have not experience such that I have today; a confused mixture of sadness and resentments hangs in the air.

I have come to understand Meo’s ways. Today day Meo is upset. When she is not to well in the head she shows such in her actions. She will at times let out long sighs or she may stand at a window and stare out and about or sometimes she might hang a long look on her face. From where I could observe her this day, she was exhibiting all such.Try as I may I could not think of what might account for her forlorn attitude. Then, as would have it, something happened to arouse my interest.

At present, Meo and rolling-eyed husband were loudly conversing about such things that I could not understand. I caught sight of some rather unpleasant expressions being exchanged to one another. Was this what I had heard humans referrer to as an argument? I must confess thisdid upset me such that I was tempted to escape into my own thoughts and, what has become my habit, even take a short nap, but I did not. However, upon reflection this might have been the better choice.

And so it was that Meo and rolling-eyed husband continued to discuss in a rather loud way the issue which I did not understand. It was decided by both that they should take a walk. Then, much to my dismay, as Meo quickly rose from her working table, without so much as a blink of an eye, she accidentally brushed me off the table and onto the floor. There I lay in utter dismay, wide awake and totally defenseless to anything that may come about. The front door slammed loudly behind them. Mercy, thought I, will this be the end of me? Will Meo forget me altogether?

The spring here has been rather cold of late so it was but a short time before I became chilled to the pegs. But even though it has been cool, right on schedule, the ants have returned. Just a week ago Meo had moved the dog’s meal bowels away from the back sliding door to help eliminate the problem of those crawly, pinchy, little insects coming inside. Though I have a strong affection for nature and flowers and all that is included in such, I have never grown accustomed to ants or, for that matter, insects of any kind.

Some time went by. Then, just as I was beginning to feel safe, to my dismay, I discovered that indeed, there were ants close by.

Therefore, I could not now say that I was out of danger. Presently the cold unpleasant shivers I had been feeling before were thus replaced with shivers of fear.

My mind raced. I feared the worst. Was I to become the ants’ evening meal? Could they in fact carry me away as I once had seen of a similar kind doing to a dead rodent on the big screen? May I perhaps with some great effort enable these stiff wooden limbs of mine to move?

Clearly some method of escape must come about but try as I might I could not think of any such. Then to my utter amazement, the answer to my dilemma came in a very odd and peculiar way.

Now as you might already have discovered, Meo and rolling-eyed husband have two dogs. I had already become quite indebted to Grover, the larger of the two, for his heroic efforts. (Meo has related such in a few blogs back.) However, Zoë is not the kind of dog, with any stretch of mind; one would conjure up as a hero. She, I must say, is not much bigger than a rat and makes vigorous, loud, irritating noises. I understand these sounds to be barking but coming from Zoë it comes out as but a very unpleasant yapping.

Now, truth be told, the entire time this event which I tell of now was taking place I had to remind myself that this was in fact a true thing happening to me. Even now as I retell of this portion of the story I find it very, very hard to believe, indeed.

And so it went that Zoë spied me lying on the floor…To this day I cannot say as to whether she also could see the ants marching towards me. However, as was to happen, this fact would soon no longer be a problem. Giving that as Zoë began her aggravating yapping the ants began to retreat. Yes, before I knew it they had turned around and had begun marching away and out a very tiny crack near to the sliding glass door.

It was some time before Zoë ended with her incessant, deafening noise. It was also some time before Meo and rolling-eyed husband returned. But now seeing that they were hand in hand and smiling it was my conclusion that they were close friends once again. It seemed to me from where I lay on the floor I could hear them exchange the word “love.”There were also some much softer feelings now hanging in the air.

Unfortunately, I was still sprawled on the floor.

Meo walked near me, glanced down to the floor, unceremoniously picked me up, lay me down on her working table and walked upstairs.